A typical airbag includes at least one inflatable region which is capable of being inflated by means of a gas generator and, in the inflated state, forms in the motor vehicle a lateral curtain for protecting the head and shoulder of an occupant, the airbag being clamped in the inflated state between two points on the vehicle body which are at a distance from one another in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
Such airbags are also designated as xe2x80x9ccurtainsxe2x80x9d which, in the event of a crash, are discharged in front of the lateral window panes of a motor vehicle, in order to prevent a collision of a vehicle occupant against the window pane or against lateral body parts of the motor vehicle or even to prevent the occupant from being thrown out through a window pane. It is important, for this purpose, that the airbag be tensioned tautly in the region of its lower edge during inflation. This is because only a sufficient tension of the lower edge of the airbag ensures that it can protect a vehicle occupant, particularly in the event of a rollover, against being thrown out through the windows.
It is known from WO 96/26087 and EP 0 814 001 A1 to provide the airbag in its inflatable regions with contractions which extend as far as the lower edge of the inflatable regions and, when these regions are being inflated, cause the effective length of the lower edge to be reduced, with the result that the airbag is tautened in the region of its lower edge.
DE 198 16 061 A1 discloses an airbag for a motor vehicle, comprising an airbag which is designed to be inflated in the event of a crash, in order to form a lateral curtain, the airbag possessing a fastening strip between the curtain and an anchoring point on the body, and the fastening strip containing inflatable means in order to reduce the effective length of the fastening strip during inflation and thereby tauten the airbag.
The object on which the invention is based is to provide an airbag of the type initially mentioned, which makes it possible by simple means to tauten the airbag sufficiently during inflation.
According to the present invention an airbag for a motor vehicle is provided. The airbag includes an inflatable region configured to be inflated so that when inflated the region forms a lateral curtain for protecting a vehicle occupant. The airbag includes a separation region bridged by a tautening element which is capable of being inflated together with the inflatable region so that when the tautening element inflates the separation region is deformed thereby reducing the length of the opening in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The airbag is clamped between two points on the vehicle body which are separated from one another in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.